Drain device



y 1967 H. GOLD ETAL 3,330,417

DRAIN DEVICE Filed Jan. 16, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H. GOLD ETAL DRAIN DEVICE July 11, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 16, 1964 United States Patent 3,330,417 DRAIN DEVICE I Harold Gold, 3645 Tolland Road, Shaker Heights, Ohio 44120, and Samuel Gold, New York, N.Y. (6 Brighton 4th Place, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11235) Filed Jan. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 338,120 2 Claims. (Cl. 210-463) This invention relates to a device for improving the mode of draining in a sink, or other vessel used for washing, so that floatable substances are carried to the drain by the washing liquid and do not adhere to the sides or bottom of the sink.

It is an important object of our invention to provide a means for preventing floatable refuse such as soaps and greases from depositing on the walls or bottom of a sink. Another object of our invention is to provide a readily installable drain barrier for the establishment of a useful depth of liquid in a sink for floatation of refuse. It is still another object of our invention to incorporate a vortex generator and a filter in the aforementioned barrier.

Other important objects, features and advantages will be more fully apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an illustration of one form of our invention as viewed from above the drain inlet of a sink; and

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 1-1 of FIGURE 1 illustrating the manner of installation of our invention in a sink drain; and

FIGURE 3 is an illustration of a modified form of our invention as viewed from above the drain inlet of a sink; and

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is an illustrative developed pattern used in the construction illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4.

As shown in the drawings, our invention provides a liquid level establishing barrier that is inserted in a sink drain.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 1 and FIG- URE 2, the liquid level establishing barrier is formed by a tubular member. Tubular member 1 is joined to flange 2 and projection 3. Flange 2 and projection 3 provide the sealing means and the engaging means respectively. Projection 3 engages the sink drain fitting 4 by means of flexible fingers 3a that bear against the inner wall of fitting 4. Fingers 3a obtain their elastic action by virtue of the notches 3b in projection 3. The material that is removed to form the notches 3b is bent inward to form refuse trap fingers 3c. The number of notches and hence fingers may be varied to suit the filter requirements. Flange 2 contacts the bottom of sink 5 to form a seal and an insertion stop. Washing liquid, which may enter sink 5 through a pipe such as pipe 6, is caused to rise in the sink until it spills into weir-like groove 7.

The height of the liquid level in the sink and in groove 7 is determined by the rate of flow of liquid into the sink. At high flow rates, the level of liquid in the sink may rise to the top of tube 1, in which case flow is established over the top of tube 1 as well as through groove 7. When the rate of flow into the sink is within the capacity of groove 7, substantially as illustrated in FIG- URE 2, a stable vortex-like flow is established as indicated by the arrows in FIGURE 1. The vortex pattern 3,330,417 Ce Patented July 11, 1967 induces a swirl in the layer of liquid in the sink. The swirl prevents the formation of stagnant areas in the liquid layer and causes transportation of floating refuse from all areas of the sink to the drain. We have found that if a groove, such as groove 7, is not provided, stable swirl patterns are not established at low flow rates because the liquid spills over the top of the barrier in a random pattern. The flow area of notch 7 and the diameter of tube 1 are so related that under the condition of inlet flow rate suflicient to submerge groove 7 and cause flow over the top of tube 1, a stable vortex is established around tube 1.

The establishment of vortex patterns at low flow rates through the sink can be assisted by a weir-like notch in the barrier even if the notch shape departs considerably from the triangular shape shown in the drawings. However, if the shape of the groove is made triangular, stable flow is established in the groove at very low flow rates and consequently the desired swirl is induced in the liquid layer at very low flow rates.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 3 and FIG URE 4 the liquid level establishing barrier is formed by a spirally shaped elastic sheet 8. A typical pattern of the elastic sheet 8 is illustrated in FIGURE 5. In the spirally wound configuration, the outer end 811 contacts sheet 8 and is free to slide along sheet 8. The circumscribing diameter of the spiral sheet can thereby be varied. This action provides automatic adjustment for variation in diameter of sink fitting 9. The spring action of spiral sheet 8 provides the contact pressure between the outer wall of sheet 8 and the sink fitting 9 to hold the barrier in place against the action of the flowing liquid, and to establish an effective seal. The inner section of the spiral sheet 8 serves to provide the refuse trap. As illustrated in FIGURE 5 the upper edge 8b of sheet 8 slopes downward. The slope forms conical chamber 10 in the spiral configuration, as illustrated in FIGURE 4. The conical chamber 10 provides a refuse collecting chamber. The vortex forming notch 11 is cut in sheet 8 close to edge 8a to provide a notch location substantially as illustrated in FIGURE 4. Projections 12 are fastened to or are formed in sheet 8 to provide an insertion limit.

We claim:

1. A device for attachment to a drain inlet comprising a barrier for establishing a liquid level, a weir-like opening in the outer wall of said barrier, refuse trapping means in said device and elastic gripping means for holding said device in said drain inlet, said barrier comprising a forward tube integral with a flange, said tube being perpendicular to said flange and projecting through said flange, the end of said projecting tube having substantially rectangular notches, the sections of wall of said projecting tube that are removed to form said notches being turned radially inward to form said refuse trapping means, the wall of said projecting tube that lies between said notches being sprung outward to form said elastic gripping means, and said weir-like opening comprising a triangular opening in the end of said forward tube.

2. A device for attachment to a drain inlet comprising a barrier for establishing a liquid level, a weir-like opening in the outer wall of said barrier, refuse trapping means in said device and elastic gripping means for holding said device in said drain inlet, said barrier comprising a spirally wrapped elastic sheet, said spiral sheet yielding elastically to inward radial forces to provide said elastic gripping means, a sloping edge on said sheet, said sloping edge winding inward in said spiral to form a conical 3 4 refuse collecting chamber, the inner walls of said spiral 1,811,728 6/1931 McKee 210-463 sheet forming said refuse trapping means, said weir-like 1,973,321 9/1934 Schultz 210---163 opening comprising a triangular notch in the outer side 2,121,613 6/1938 Schultz 210-463 of said elastic sheet, and projections on the outer side of 2,770,362 11/1956 Paquin 210172 X said elastic sheet for limiting the insertion of said spiral- 5 1y wrapped sheet in said drain inlet. FOREIGN PATENTS 450,633 8/ 1948 Canada. References Cited 15,690 1899 Great Britain.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 645,749 3/1900 Kasschau 210163 X 1 REUBEN FRIEDMAN, Prlm'ary Exammer,

931,019 8/1909 Dawes et a1. 210163 X J. DE CESARE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR ATTACHMENT TO A DRAIN INLET COMPRISING A BARRIER FOR ESTABLISHING A LIQUID LEVEL, A WEIR-LIKE OPENING IN THE OUTER WALL OF SAID BARRIER, REFUSE TRAPPING MEANS IN SAID DEVICE AND ELASTIC GRIPPING MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID DEVICE IN SAID DRAIN INLET, SAID BARRIER COMPRISING A FORWARD TUBE INTEGRAL WITH A FLANGE, SAID TUBE BEING PERPENDICULAR TO SAID FLANGE AND PROJECTING THROUGH SAID FLANGE, THE END OF SAID PROJECTING TUBE HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR NOTCHES, THE SECTIONS OF WALL OF SAID PROJECTING TUBE THAT ARE REMOVED TO FORM SAID NOTCHES BEING TURNED RADIALLY INWARD TO FORM SAID REFUSE TRAPPING MEANS, THE WALL OF SAID PROJECTING TUBE THAT LIES BETWEEN SAID NOTCHES BEING SPRUNG OUTWARD TO FORM SAID ELASTIC GRIPPING MEANS, AND SAID WEIR-LIKE OPENING COMPRISING A TRIANGULAR OPENING IN THE END OF SAID FORWARD TUBE. 